Carbohydrate Counting for People with Diabetes

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Carbohydrate Counting for

People with Diabetes

Why Is Carbohydrate Counting Important?

? Counting carbohydrate servings may help you to control your blood glucose level so that you feel better.

? The balance between the carbohydrates you eat and insulin determines what your blood glucose level will be after eating.

? Carbohydrate counting can also help you plan your meals.

Which Foods Have Carbohydrates?

Foods with carbohydrates include: ? Breads, crackers, and cereals ? Pasta, rice, and grains ? Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, corn, and peas ? Beans and legumes ? Milk, soy milk, and yogurt ? Fruits and fruit juices ? Sweets, such as cakes, cookies, ice cream, jam, and jelly

Carbohydrate Servings

In diabetes meal planning, 1 serving of a food with carbohydrate has about 15 grams of carbohydrate:

? Check serving sizes with measuring cups and spoons or a food scale. ? Read the Nutrition Facts on food labels to find out how many grams of carbohydrate are

in foods you eat. ? The food lists in this handout show portions that have about 15 grams of carbohydrate.

Copyright ? American Dietetic Association. This handout may be duplicated for client education. Carbohydrate Counting for People With Diabetes ? Page 1

Food Lists for Carbohydrate Counting

1 serving = about 15 grams of carbohydrate

? 1 slice bread (1 ounce) ? 1 tortilla (6-inch size) ? ? large bagel (1 ounce) ? 2 taco shells (5-inch size) ? ? hamburger or hot dog bun

(1 ounce) ? ? cup ready-to-eat cereal ? ? cup cooked cereal ? 1 cup broth-based soup ? 4-6 small crackers

Starches ? cup pasta or rice (cooked) ? ? cup beans, peas, corn, sweet potatoes, winter squash, or mashed or boiled potatoes (cooked) ? ? large baked potato (3 ounces) ? ? ounce pretzels, potato chips, or tortilla chips ? 3 cups popcorn (popped)

Fruit

? 1 small fresh fruit (4 ounces)

? 1 cup melon or berries

? ? cup canned fruit

? 2 tablespoons raisins

? ? cup dried fruit (2 tablespoons)

? ? cup fruit juice

? 17 small grapes (3 ounces)

Milk

? 1 cup fat-free or reduced-fat milk

? cup (6 ounces) fat-free yogurt

? 1 cup soy milk

sweetened with sugar-free

sweetener

Sweets and Desserts

? 2-inch square cake (unfrosted)

? 1 tablespoon syrup, jam, jelly,

? 2 small cookies ( ounce)

table sugar, or honey

? ? cup ice cream or frozen yogurt

? 2 tablespoons light syrup

? ? cup sherbet or sorbet

Other Foods ? Count 1 cup raw vegetables or ? cup cooked nonstarchy vegetables as zero

carbohydrate servings or "free" foods. If you eat 3 or more servings at one meal, count them as 1 carbohydrate serving. ? Foods that have less than 20 calories in each serving also may be counted as zero carbohydrate servings or "free" foods. ? Count 1 cup of casserole or other mixed foods as 2 carbohydrate servings.

Carbohydrate Counting for People with Diabetes ? Page 2

Meal Planning Tips

? A meal plan tells you how many carbohydrate servings to eat at your meals and snacks. For many adults, eating 3 to 5 servings of carbohydrate foods at each meal and 1 or 2 carbohydrate servings for each snack works well.

? In a healthy daily meal plan, most carbohydrates come from: o 5 servings of fruits and vegetables o 3 servings of whole grains o 2 to 4 servings of milk or milk products

? Check your blood glucose level regularly. It can tell you if you need to adjust the timing of when you eat carbohydrates.

? Eating foods that have fiber, such as whole grains, and having very few salty foods is good for your health.

? Eat 4 to 6 ounces of meat or other protein foods (such as soybean burgers) each day. Choose low-fat sources of protein, such as lean beef, lean pork, chicken, fish, low-fat cheese, or vegetarian foods such as soy.

? Eat some healthy fats, such as olive oil, canola oil, and nuts. ? Eat very little saturated fats. These unhealthy fats are found in butter, cream, and high-fat

meats, such as bacon and sausage. ? Eat very little or no trans fats. These unhealthy fats are found in all foods that list "partially

hydrogenated" oil as an ingredient.

Label Reading Tips

The Nutrition Facts panel on a label lists the grams of total carbohydrate in 1 standard serving. The label's standard serving may be larger or smaller than 1 carbohydrate serving.

To figure out how many carbohydrate servings are in the food: ? Look first at the label's standard serving size. ? Then check the grams of total carbohydrate. This is the amount of carbohydrate in 1 standard

serving. ? Divide the grams of total carbohydrate by 15. This number equals the number of

carbohydrate servings in 1 standard serving. Remember: 1 carbohydrate serving is 15 grams of carbohydrate. ? Note: You may ignore the grams of sugars on the Nutrition Facts panel because they are included in the grams of total carbohydrate.

Carbohydrate Counting for People with Diabetes ? Page 3

Sample 1-Day Menu

Total Carbohydrate Servings: 15

Breakfast

Lunch

Snack Evening Meal

1 small banana (1 carbohydrate serving) ? cup corn flakes (1 carbohydrate serving) 1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk (1 carbohydrate serving) 1 slice whole wheat bread (1 carbohydrate serving) 1 teaspoon soft margarine

2 ounces lean meat (for sandwich) 2 slices whole wheat bread (2 carbohydrate servings) Raw vegetables: 3-4 carrot sticks, 3-4 celery sticks, 2 lettuce leaves 1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk (1 carbohydrate serving) 1 small apple (1 carbohydrate serving)

? cup canned apricots (1 carbohydrate serving) ? ounce unsalted mini-pretzels (1 carbohydrate serving)

3 ounces lean roast beef ? large baked potato (2 carbohydrate servings) 1 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream ? cup green beans 1 vegetable salad: lettuce, ? cup raw vegetables, and 1 tablespoon

light salad dressing 1 small whole wheat dinner roll (1 carbohydrate serving) 1 teaspoon soft margarine 1 cup melon balls (1 carbohydrate serving)

Snack

6 ounces low-fat fruit yogurt with sugar-free sweetener (1

carbohydrate serving)

2 tablespoons unsalted nuts

Approximate Nutrition Analysis:

Calories: 1,675; Protein: 84g (20% of calories); Carbohydrate: 247g (57% of calories),

Carbohydrate Servings: 15; Fat: 44g (23% of calories); Sodium: 2,243mg; Fiber: 24g;

Cholesterol: 154mg

Notes:

Carbohydrate Counting for People with Diabetes ? Page 4

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